


Carson's Book Club

by Thraceadams



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, F/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-27
Updated: 2011-08-23
Packaged: 2017-10-22 23:50:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/243935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thraceadams/pseuds/Thraceadams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronon and Jennifer bond over Carson's favorite book when she stumbles upon him reading Pride and Prejudice late one night to the Doctor while he's in stasis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:I don’t SGA, not even close.If I did Carson wouldn’t be dead and Elizabeth wouldn’t be a replicator.What you recognize is NOT mine, what you don’t IS.I also don’t own Jane Austen’s _Pride and Prejudice._ If I did, the A&E version with Colin Firth would be on tv somewhere all the time.Excerpts are in _italics._ We are active duty military and live in base housing, so if you sue, you won’t get any money – sorry, government pay

Thanks to my hubs for editing this on such short notice!

  


Jennifer was standing in the infirmary putting some supplies away when Ronon walked in, injured again, as usual.

She smiled, “You know we’re going to have to stop meeting like this.”

Ronon ducked his head and smiled sheepishly, “Yeah.”

She rolled her eyes, “Hop up on the table, let me take a look.”

Ronon obeyed and patiently sat still while she examined the cut above his eye.

“Nothing a little antiseptic and a bandage won’t cure,” she said brusquely, retrieving both and leaning forward.

Ronon jumped a bit as he felt the cool sting of the antiseptic.He opened his uninjured eye to look at her but found himself face to face with her breasts instead.He couldn’t help but stare.

“Okay, all done,” she said, leaning back.

“Thanks, doc,” he said, hopping off the table.

He turned to go and then turned back, “You want to get something to eat?”

She checked her watch and grinned, “Yeah, come to think of it, it is dinner time, isn’t it?”

He grinned, of course it was dinner time, he’d planned it that way.

“I just have to finish a few things up here and then I can leave.”

“No problem, I’ll wait.”

Jennifer looked at him quizzically and then went about the business of finishing up for the day.In less than ten minutes, she was ready to go.

“All set,” she said, brightly.

Ronon smiled and they walked out of the infirmary together and headed toward the mess.Jennifer looked up at him as they walked.

“You’ve been getting injured a lot lately.”

“So?” he grunted.

Jennifer looked back down at her shoes before responding, “That’s a bit unusual for you.”

“Hmmph,” was the only answer she got.

Before long, they were in the mess line, getting their food, and she was following him back to the table usually reserved for the team headed up by Colonel Sheppard.This time there was a chair for her.Seeing the two approach the table, John pushed the chair out across from him with his foot, knowing that Ronon would never think of pulling Jennifer’s chair out for her.It earned him one of her shy smiles as she said, “Thank you.”

She didn’t join in on much of the conversation, just sat and listened and enjoyed the easy-going nature of the team.She chuckled as John and Rodney stole food off each other’s trays, and almost spluttered with shock when Ronon took food from hers.But then he smiled when she stole a bite right back from him and she felt the flush on her face right down to her toes.All too soon, the meal was over and she found herself on her way back to the infirmary, alone.Colonel Sheppard had needed to speak to Ronon and they had said their goodbyes.

Jennifer checked on all her patients, consulted with the night shift nurses, sat at her desk and finished a few notes and then leaned back.She looked around for a moment and then shut her light off.She had intended to make her way back to her quarters but instead found herself in front of the stasis chamber doors.Quietly, she looked around, before keying in the access code to open the door and stepping inside.

Slowly, she walked over to where the chair was positioned in front of Carson’s space.Relieved to see that the chair was empty, she sat down in it.It wasn’t the first time she’d come here, but usually those times it was to unload about a patient to the only one who understood and would listen unconditionally.

“I think Ronon is deliberately getting injured so he can come see me,” she whispered.

Then she sat and listened.Sometimes she thought if she listened hard enough and long enough she’d hear that delightful Scottish brogue answer her.But just like every other night the only thing she heard was silence, marred by her own voice.

“He asked me to dinner tonight.We ate with the team.I guess you can call that a date, right?I mean he asked me to dinner, we ate together and that was that.”

Jennifer stood up and started pacing, sighing in the process.Dating human/Earth men was hard enough, now she had to go and fall for Ronon?What the hell was she thinking? She rubbed her eyes furiously, as if she could scrub the vision of the tall dread-locked man from her brain.And then all of a sudden, the man in question was standing right there in front of her, with a shocked look on his face.

“I – I” she stammered out.

He held up his hand, stemming her interruption, “He was my friend, too.”

Jennifer nodded and then went back over to the chamber to say her goodbyes for the night to the sleeping Doctor.Ronon watched her, watched her place her hand on the chamber right where Carson’s hand was.He saw her lips moving as she whispered something to the unresponsive man in front of her.She turned and walked up to him.

“He’s all yours,” she said softly, eyeing the book he had in his hands.

“Thanks,” Ronon growled.

Jennifer flicked her eyes over the book quickly and then left the room, smiling to herself.She would never have imagined Ronon with _Pride and Prejudice._

Ronon scowled as he sat down in the chair Jennifer had just vacated.He flipped to the page where he’d last left off, “Your favorite book had to be this one,” he muttered, rolling his eyes before he started to read.

 _  
“In vain I have struggled.It will not do.My feelings will not be repressed.You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”   
_

Jennifer stifled a giggle at the sound of Ronon’s gruff voice actually reading _Pride and Prejudice_ aloud.She’d had no idea it had been Carson’s favorite book or that Ronon had obviously been coming down here to read it to him.She thought it was cute.Quietly, she slipped away from the doorway and made her way back to her quarters.

Ronon read for about an hour until his voice started getting scratchy.He wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to come down here and spend time with Carson.It’s not like they were best friends or anything but considering how many times the man had patched him up, he figured he owed him something.As long as nobody found out he was actually reading *his* favorite book.

*****************************

The next night Jennifer found herself back in the stasis room again, talking to the doctor.

“So, he’s in here, most nights, reading that book to you,” she laughed softly.

“I never knew you were a Jane Austen fan, although being from Scotland and it being close to England and all, I guess I should have assumed you would be…” her voice trailed off.

She could almost hear him saying in that Scottish brogue of his, “Bloody hell woman, I canna stand that prattle.”

Jennifer laughed softly to herself, wondering just whose favorite book it was anyway.A cough interrupted her thoughts and startled, she turned to the doorway.

“Ronon!” she exclaimed.

“I’m here to read to the doc,” he grunted, waving the book.

“Right, yes, um, I’ll just um, get out of your way then,” she stammered, blushing as she stood up.

Ronon walked into the room, stopping when he heard Carson speak, “Well, come on lad, invite her ta stay!”

He shook his head as if to clear it, sure he’d just heard Carson speaking.He watched Jennifer walking quickly to the door.

“Do…” he cleared his throat, “Stay.”

She turned around and looked at him, “Really?”

He nodded slowly, pulling another chair over.Jennifer ducked her head and smiled, walking over to the chair and sitting down.Ronon grunted and sat down beside her, cracking the book open.

 _  
“Elizabeth had settled it that Mr. Darcy would bring his sister to visit her the very day after her reaching Pemberley; and was consequently resolved not to be out of sight of the inn the whole of that morning.”   
_

Jennifer settled back into the chair, listening to Ronon’s gruff voice read Jane Austen and somehow it was calming, soothing almost.She’d always loved the story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

Ronon glanced up at Jennifer as he read.Watched her lean back against the chair and close her eyes.Watched her chest rise and fall with every breath, and resisted the urge to reach over and brush the hair off her forehead.He looked back down at the book, surprised to feel his heart beating just a little bit faster.He puffed his breath out in an exasperated sigh and kept reading.

Jennifer found herself picturing the scenes in her head as Ronon read.She found herself caughtup in the story, desperately wanting Elizabeth and Darcy to get together.Listening to Ronon read Darcy’s words made her heart pound, her breath start to come in short gasps.She felt heat spreading through her body, pooling in her lap.

Ronon looked up when he heard Jennifer gasp, saw the flush in her face, the light sheen of perspiration on her brow, and found himself shifting uncomfortably in the chair, his pants suddenly a smidge too tight.He put the book in his lap, and took a deep breath, forcing his libido back under control.

Jennifer opened her eyes when he stopped reading and looked over at him.

“Why’d you stop?”

“Getting late.”

“Oh.”

She flushed and stood up, “Um, thanks.For letting me stay I mean,” she smiled at him and then hurried out of the room.

Ronon slumped back down onto the chair, tapping the book on his hand before casting a glare over at Carson’s frozen form.

“So, Doc, whadya think?”

This time the only answer he got was silence.

*************************

Jennifer lay in her bed that night, thinking back to when she had been quarantined with Ronon, cursing her luck that the quarantine was lifted just as he was about to kiss her.That was weeks ago and most times he acted like it never happened, except for all his visits to the infirmary.He was even more rubbish with women than McKay.

Ronon lay in the dark thinking about the doctor.It had been nice reading to her tonight, she seemed to enjoy it, and suddenly he smiled.For the first time, he was actually looking forward to reading again tomorrow night.He rolled over and closed his eyes, already thinking about which book to start after Jane Austen was over.

**************************

Jennifer looked up from the patient she was suturing and bit back a smile as the tall dark man with the dread locks walked into her infirmary again, followed by a very contrite Col. John Sheppard.

“I didn’t hit you that bad,” John said running his hand over his spiky hair.

“Still bleeding,” Ronon grunted, looking furtively over at Jennifer.

She felt the heat rise in her face under the weight of his stare and steeled herself not to return his gaze.Jennifer saw one of the nurses get Ronon settled onto a bed out of her peripheral vision.She finished the stitch she was on and smiled up at her patient.

“All done.Keep it clean and dry for 24 hours and come back in a week to have the stitches removed.If it gets red or puffy, or you develop a fever, come back immediately.”

She walked over and washed her hands before turning an accusing eye on Ronon and John.

“Were you two boys playing rough?”

John held up his hand, “I swear I didn’t hit him that hard.”

“Still bleeding though,” Ronon grunted, and Jennifer rolled her eyes.

She grabbed some supplies and walked over to the bed.When she started cleaning the wound and Ronon winced at the antiseptic, John blanched a bit and said, “I’ll just be standing over here,” and moved to lean against the doorway.

Jennifer returned her attention to the scratch on Ronon’s arm, “You know you don’t have to get injured to come see me.”

Ronon felt heat rise up into his cheeks and fidgeted nervously as she cleaned the blood off his arm.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.We were sparring, I got cut, thought I might need stitches.”

Jennifer looked at him raising an eyebrow, when he didn’t answer, she went back to her work.Within a few minutes, she was done.

“All set.Next time be more careful,” she smiled.

Ronon grunted and leapt off the table, clapping John on the shoulder as he walked out the door.John stared after him curiously, glanced back at Jennifer who was already moving on to the next patient, before loping after him at a quickened pace.

“What was that all about?”

“Nothing.”

“Really?” John asked.

“Really.”

John decided to let it go for now, but there was something definitely going on between Ronon and the Doctor.

******************************

Sam was walking the corridors late that night when she heard a voice coming from the stasis room.She drew her weapon and walked quietly over to the door.She relaxed a bit when she recognized the voice as Ronon’s and she concentrated to hear what he was saying.

 _  
Darcy made no answer.He seemed scarcely to hear her, and was walking up and down the room in earnest meditation, his brow contracted, his air gloomy.Elizabeth soon observed, and instantly understood it.   
_

Sam leaned against the wall in shock.She risked taking a peek into the room and drew back just as quickly.She couldn’t fight the grin that slowly spread across her face.Ronon was sitting in a chair in front of Carson’s stasis pod.Jennifer Keller was sitting next to him, her head on his shoulder as he read _Pride and Prejudice._ Sam would never have guessed Ronon to be a fan of Jane Austen.Quietly she walked away from the room, secretly glad the two of them had found each other.

Jennifer leaned against Ronon as he read, felt the deep timbre of his voice as it rumbled through his chest with every word.She loved this part of the story, where Elizabeth was in dire need of rescue and unbeknownst to her, Darcy was already in the process of rescuing her.

Ronon felt the comfortable weight of Jennifer’s head on his shoulder and took a deep breath before he continued with the story.He smiled at her scent, a mixture of lilies and antiseptic.He wanted to put his arm around her, draw her closer, mix her scent with his own, but she was comfortable where she was and he didn’t want to disturb her, so he continued to read.

That night Ronon was the first to leave when they finished reading.Jennifer said she wanted to check some of the readings on the stasis chambers.He offered to wait but she declined, however she did accept his invitation to dine with the team tomorrow at lunch.She pulled out her clipboard and checked some of the readouts.

“Give ‘im time, lass.”

Jennifer cocked her head quizzically.She could have sworn she heard Carson speaking.She glanced over the stasis pod again, all his vitals remained the same and he was silent and unmoving.She wrote some figures down on her clipboard, gave one last smile to Carson and left for the night.

************************

Jennifer picked up her tray and looked over in Ronon’s direction.He felt her gaze, looked up and smiled at her.She smiled back and tentatively walked over to the table.He pushed the chair across from him out for her and she sat down.

“Hey Doc,” Col Sheppard drawled lazily at her.

“Hi,” she said softly.

She watched him go back to conversing with Rodney, who kind of grunted at her before returning to his argument with the Colonel.Jennifer turned as Teyla sat down next to her and said, “Hello, Jennifer, how are you today?”

“I’m good.How are you?”

“Fine, thank you.”

And then Teyla turned her attention to the Colonel and Rodney, instantly slipping into mediator mode to their playful argument.

“So, you up for a little sparring?”

Jennifer turned a startled look toward Ronon, “Huh?”

“Sparring?Remember we talked about it a while back?”

“Right, sorry, I had forgotten that.Sure, sparring would be good, um when?”

Ronon slid a quick glance over at the Colonel, “Well, I was thinking maybe tomorrow after we get back from PX-8022?”

“Sure, that would be great,” she smiled back at him.

They made small talk the rest of the way and then Jennifer had to get back to sickbay.She said her goodbyes and left.Ronon left shortly afterwards, ignoring the looks he was getting from the rest of his team.

*****************

 _  
What a triumph for him, as she often thought, could he know that the proposals which she had proudly spurned only four months ago, would now have been gladly and gratefully received!He was as generous, she doubted not, as the most generous of his sex; but while he was mortal, there must be a triumph.   
_

Ronon’s voice rumbled through his chest as Jennifer’s head rested against it.They had pushed their chairs together and this time Ronon had put his arm around her shoulder and she had snuggled into his side as he read.And now it was coming to an end.He had to get up early, had the mission tomorrow, and of course as always, she had to be on standby.He offered to walk her to her quarters and she said yes this time.They walked easily down the corridors together with him bumping her shoulder affectionately at times, until they reached her door.Then awkwardness set in.

She cleared her throat and stared nervously up at him, he smiled shyly down at her.He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek, “I’ll see you tomorrow after the mission.”

She blushed and smiled in return before going into her quarters for the night.

*******************

 **  
UNSCHEDULED GATE ACTIVATION!UNSCHEDULED GATE ACTIVATION!   
**

Jennifer looked up at the intercom as the announcement went off and then went back to her patient.She tried to keep her heart under control, but those announcements always made her nervous, and now with Ronon out in the field she worried for his safety.And then the call she had been dreading came through.

“Dr. Keller to the gateroom!Dr. Keller to the gateroom!”

She grabbed her med kit and started running.Her heart pounded as she raced into the room to see a bleeding Teyla dragging an unconscious and bleeding Ronon with her.They were followed quickly by Colonel Sheppard and Rodney.Instantly, she went into Doctor-mode.

“What happened?”

Teyla quickly explained that there was an ambush and Ronon had been in a fight and gotten stabbed, and then shot.

“Get him on a stretcher now!” she yelled.“Get him to sickbay!” she ordered her med team.

As he was the most severely injured she went with him to sickbay, leaving orders for the triage team to do their jobs and for the rest of the team members to follow after they had been treated.She ran down the corridor with the stretcher, anxious to get Ronon to the OR suite.Jennifer glanced down at him again and her heart almost stopped, there was so much blood, everywhere.

Once in the OR suite, she started barking orders, while the nurses hooked him up to monitors, cut off his clothes, and started IVs.Jennifer whipped her stethoscope from around her neck and immediately started listening for heart sounds.They were there but they were rapid and thready, and his respirations were shallow.Then all of a sudden she heard the monitor flatline.

“NO!” she shouted, ripping his shirt open and starting compressions.

Her movements felt sluggish, like she wasn’t compressing hard enough, when she felt Rodney pull her off of him.

“It’s over,” he said softly.

She collapsed sobbing against his chest, and woke up screaming in the dark.

Blearily, Jennifer looked around her room, clutching the sheet to her chest, slowly realizing that it had just been a nightmare.She wasn’t in sickbay, Ronon wasn’t dead, it had all been a nightmare.She gulped in air rapidly, trying to calm herself down and slow her rapidly-beating heart.Jennifer scrubbed her hand over her face and then laid back down on the bed.She stared at the ceiling for several minutes, before turning on her side and trying to get back to sleep.

**********************

She stood in the gateroom the next day, waiting for any word back from the away team.Sam kept looking over at her, concern etched on her features, and then the call came through.

“Base, this is Col. Sheppard.We have injured.Some foliage here proved to be less then friendly.Requesting the doctor and a med team.Sheppard out.”

Sam looked over at Jennifer, who nodded and went to get her team assembled.A brief ten minutes later she was in the gateroom and it was dialing.Her heart pounded rapidly.There had been no more contact with the team, no idea about any injuries or who.She could only hope it wasn’t Ronon.When the wormhole open, she stepped through confidently, pack slung over her shoulder.

Unfortunately, she stepped right into a war zone.In the brief seconds after she stepped into the event horizon, Sheppard had radioed back saying they were under fire.The call had come too late.Jennifer stepped through and a bullet whizzed past her head.She immediately ducked down and took cover.She tapped her comm unit, “Colonel Sheppard, where are the injured?”

“Stay put, I don’t think any of the injuries are life-threatening.”

Jennifer stayed where she was, looking around as best she could, but she could really see nothing.

“Okay, we’ve got you covered.”

Jennifer stood up and quickly made her way to Colonel Sheppard’s location.

“Where are they?” she asked quickly.

He nodded behind him, his eyes still scanning the tree line.Jennifer followed his gaze and bit back a gasp at the sight of Ronon lying unconscious behind him.She swiftly ran over to him and started assessing his injuries.She glanced around him and noticed a tomato-like plant and grimaced at the sharp teeth she saw dripping a viscous liquid.Jennifer took a quick sample of the liquid and frowned at the reading.She looked back at Ronon.As soon as her hand touched his face, he started to stir.

“What are you doing here?”

“Apparently, you were attacked by a tomato,” she said wryly, listening to his heart and lung sounds.

Ronon laughed, “A tomato?”

Jennifer laughed softly, “Tomatoes are nothing to sneer at.”

Ronon turned serious, “So, it really was tomatoes?”

Jennifer smiled, “Well, in your defense they were really big tomatoes, with razor sharp teeth laced with poison and a sedative.Fortunately, you were immune to the poison.”

Ronon slumped back down, rolling his eyes and groaning, “Great, I get felled by killer tomatoes.”

Jennifer couldn’t help but laugh and he glared at her, “Sorry, it’s just, on Earth, there’s a really bad 1970’s sci-fi movie called _Attack of the Killer Tomatoes_.”

“Great.”

“Come on, I’ve given you some adrenalin to combat the sedative, we need to get you up and out of here…” her voice trailed off as Ronon heard a short burst of gunfire and she slumped over his chest.

“Jennifer?Jennifer?JENNIFER!”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronon and Jennifer bond over Carson's favorite book when she stumbles upon him reading Pride and Prejudice late one night to the Doctor while he's in stasis.

Disclaimer: I don’t SGA, not even close. If I did Carson wouldn’t be dead and Elizabeth wouldn’t be a replicator. What you recognize is NOT mine, what you don’t IS. I also don’t own Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. If I did, the A&E version with Colin Firth would be on tv somewhere all the time. Excerpts are in italics. We are active duty military and live in base housing, so if you sue, you won’t get any money – sorry, government pay

Thanks to my hubs for editing this on such short notice!

Ronon grabbed her shoulders and struggled to sit up with her on top of him. He could already feel her blood staining the front of his tunic. He tapped his earpiece, “The Doc’s been shot! I repeat, the Doc’s been shot!”

He staggered to his feet, clutching her to his chest and started running toward the Gate.

“Sheppard! I’ve got the Doc and I’m headed for the Gate!”

“10-4!” Sheppard shouted into the comm before turning to everyone else and yelling, “Fall back! Fall back to the Gate now!”

He and the others laid down cover fire as they watched Ronon run out of the woods with Dr. Keller in his arms. Sheppard had that sick feeling in his stomach, the same one he knew Col. O’Neill experienced when Janet had died under similar circumstances. He could only hope the fate of their Doctor would be different. He watched as Ronon made it through the Gate with her, and then ordered everyone back through and he brought up the rear.

The Gateroom was in chaos when he got back. Medics were crawling all over the place and Sheppard suddenly realized how much order Jennifer actually brought to the field. Sam was barking orders at everyone and finally order started to resume. She nodded at him and he went straight to medical.

He found Jennifer being worked on by one of the other doctors and most of the nurses and Ronon pacing right outside the room, shrugging off anyone’s attempts at treating him with a menacing glare. John walked up to him, “Hey buddy, um, why don’t you let one of these nice nurses finish treating your wounds. I’m sure they’ll let you stand here while they do it. You’ll be able to see her the entire time. Okay?”

Ronon just nodded and John motioned one of the nurses over. She came over timidly and looked at the wounds on his back and shoulders before completing the job Jennifer had started. She cleaned the wounds, stitched a few spots, and then bandaged them. The nurse nodded at Colonel Sheppard who had pulled a chair over, “Here, why don’t you sit down? I’m sure they’ll come out and tell us something as soon as they can.”

Ronon grunted but he sat anyway. And he sat, for what felt like hours. Until finally, one of the docs came out, his scrubs covered in blood, Jennifer’s blood. He looked down at Ronon and then over at Colonel Sheppard, and Colonel Carter who had since joined them.

“She’s lost a lot of blood, but there wasn’t any damage to any vital organs, and she should recover just fine. She’s going to need a lot of rest and until she fully recovers, she’s on light duty.”

Ronon stood, “Can I see her?”

And then he walked past the doc without waiting for an answer. He could hear the two Colonels continuing to speak to the doctor in his absence. He walked into the room she was in, flashing back to when Dr. Weir had been in this same room and he shook his head to clear that thought and focused on Jennifer. She looked so small and vulnerable with all the monitors and tubes attached to her.

Quietly, he walked over to the bed and just stared down at her. There were dried flecks of blood on her face and in her hair. He reached a trembling hand out and brushed a strand of hair off her forehead but couldn’t speak around the lump in his throat. Ronon leaned down and brushed a soft kiss off her forehead before pulling up a chair and sitting down. He placed her small hand in his and held it to his lips and started speaking softly to her.

“You can’t die Jennifer, you hear me? You can’t die.”

He went silent for a moment, remembering the nights they’d spent reading with Carson, the lunches and dinners they had shared, and the almost kiss they had shared during the quarantine. Ronon looked down at her, thinking about the look on her face when she told him about the tomatoes and how she had silently slumped over him when she’d been shot, without even a cry of pain. He felt the hot rush of tears behind his eyes, and brought her hand to his lips again and whispered the words he’d been holding back for so long, “Come back to me Jennifer, please. I need you. I love you.”

And then he bent his head over her hand and rested it on the bed.

****************

Outside the room John and Sam watched, Sam with a small smile on her face and John with a frown on his. Sam looked over at him and saw the frown, “John?”

He shook himself and turned to look at her, “What?”

She nodded her head in Ronon’s direction, “Is that a problem?”

“What? No, oh NO!” he shook his head, realizing what she was asking.

“Then why the frown?”

“What? Oh, just,” and he turned to look at her, curiosity filling his features, “how long has that been going on?”

Sam laughed and then patted him on the arm, “Not long. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much.”

Then she turned and walked away, leaving him behind staring after her, wondering just what else she knew. As if reading his mind she answered him, “A lot more than you think.”

His mouth dropped open as Rodney stepped up beside him, “Shut your mouth Colonel or you’ll catch flies with it.”

John turned and glared at Rodney.

“So is caveman going to be okay?”

John glanced back at Ronon and then back to Rodney, “Yeah, as soon as she is.”

The two men stood there silently watching their two team members behind the glass. After a few minutes Rodney clapped John on the shoulder, “Come on, let’s go get something to eat, then I’ll let you beat me at chess.”

“What do you mean ‘let me beat you’?” John asked indignantly. “I won fair and square last time.”

“Oh come on, seriously?”

“I did,” John repeated stubbornly.

The two men went off to the mess hall arguing.

**************

Jennifer looked around and was shocked to see Carson standing in front of her.

“Am I?” she asked nervously.

“Not unless I am,” he answered.

She breathed a sigh of relief and then turned around to see what he was looking at. She gasped when she saw herself on the bed with Ronon sitting beside her, his head pillowed on their clasped hands.

“You said I wasn’t?” she stated indignantly.

“You aren’t, but you aren’t with him either,” the other Doctor prodded gently.

She turned back to look at herself, “He really does care, doesn’t he?”

Carson smiled, “Told you he just needed time, lass. Now go to him. He needs you more than I do right now.”

She turned back to Carson, “Thank you,” she whispered before her vision went black.

***********************

Ronon sat by her bed for hours before she finally showed some signs of waking up. Her hand twitched under his and he jerked his head up to look at her. Ronon softly stroked her hair and she squinted up at him.

“Hey,” he grunted.

“Hi,” she rasped.

“Was wondering if you were going to miss the next meeting of Carson’s Book Club,” he whispered softly.

She smiled and reached a hand up to stroke his face, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Ronon looked into her eyes and once again felt the weird feeling of hot tears behind his eyes, fortunately for him, the spell was broken when a nurse came rushing in, brought in by the change in the monitors on Jennifer.

Ronon was pushed back to the side of the room, while Doctors and nurses swarmed around her, checking her vitals and her wounds. They finally left when Jennifer told them sternly that she was fine, that she would be fine, and would they just leave her alone already.

Ronon chuckled, “What happened to that timid Doctor we had a few months ago?”

“Oh, she’s long gone.”

Ronon smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Have you been here the whole time?”

By the sheepish look on his face, she had her answer. She nodded, “Okay, you need to go get some food, get cleaned up, and get some rest. I will be fine.”

He glared at her.

She glared back, “Doctor’s orders.”

“You’re not a Doctor right now, you’re a patient.”

“But you are still *my* patient, and I’m telling you, go get some food, get cleaned up, get some rest, *and* then you may come back. I’m within my rights to throw you out.”

“You wouldn’t,” Ronon growled.

And then he looked at her, “You would,” he sighed.

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow, Doc,” and he turned to go.

“Ronon,” she said softly.

He turned to look at her.

“Thanks.”

He smiled and suddenly his heart felt lighter about being thrown out of her room.

**************

It was another two days before Jennifer was released from sickbay, another week before she was allowed to walk around freely, and several weeks before she was off of light duty and back at work. She and Ronon had only managed to have one or two meetings of Carson’s Book Club during that time because most of the time she was simply too exhausted or he was offworld. But tonight they were finally going to finish Pride and Prejudice and Jennifer couldn’t wait.

This evening was different. Ronon met her at her quarters and extended his arm. She looked at him in surprise and he shrugged, grinning, “So I learned a few things from this book.”

Jennifer laughed and took his arm and they walked that way all the way to the stasis chamber. She looked a little shocked when they got there. Instead of just the two chairs, there was a small table, a snack, and a candle. Jennifer turned to look at him and was surprised to see him blush.

“It was all I could manage in this place without arousing the gossip mill.”

She smiled, “It’s lovely.”

They sat down and he started to read.

******************

John stood outside the room, watching his two friends. Ronon’s deep voice rumbled out into the corridor.

In the evening, soon after Mr. Bennet withdrew to the library, she saw Mr. Darcy rise also and follow him, and her agitation on seeing it was extreme. She did not fear her father’s opposition, but he was going to be made unhappy, and that is should be through her means that she, favourite child, should be distressing him by her choic, should be filling him with fears and regrets in disposing of her, was a wretched reflection, and she sat in misery till Mr. Darcy appeared again, when, looking at him, she was a little relieved by his smile.

John saw Jennifer snuggle in a little closer and Ronon wrap his arm around her shoulders and he couldn’t help but smile. Who would have thought that the diminutive timid little Doctor would be the one to tame the savage Ronon beast? He smiled at them and then left quietly, thinking he might see if Rodney was up for a movie or a game or something. He’d have to thank Sam for telling him about the book club.

*****************

Jennifer listened as Ronon finished the book and then watched as he shut it. She sighed happily, images of Colin Firth kissing Jennifer Ehles filled her head.

“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” Ronon grumbled.

“Who?”

“Darcy.”

Jennifer giggled, “Well, I guess. More specifically Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.”

Ronon rolled his eyes.

“I’m picking the book next time,” he growled.

Jennifer swatted him on the chest laughing until he caught her hand in his and then she looked up into those chocolate brown eyes and the laugh died in her throat. He gazed down at her with such intensity she felt like she was drowning.

“You picked it this time, remember?” she whispered softly.

Jennifer licked her lips nervously and Ronon growled at the sight of her pink tongue darting out of her mouth. He wrapped his large hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to him, until his mouth was crushed against hers and he was exploring that tiny pink tongue with his own.

Jennifer felt her heart pound as he kissed her, hearing only the sound of the rushing blood in her ears. The rushing sensation was too much and she felt like she was drowning. She grabbed onto him like a sailor grabbing a life preserver and she kissed him back. Jennifer tangled her hands in his dread locks, pulling him closer. He wrapped his other arm around her, dropping the book on the floor, pulling her to him until she was seated in his lap. He broke the suction on her mouth only to trail kisses along her jaw until he settled at the pounding pulse in her neck. Sucking the skin into his mouth, he bit gently, hearing her gasp and feeling her hands clench at him.

“Oh God, yes,” she whispered.

And he smiled. He stood up then, with her in his arms, and swiftly walked her back to his quarters. Carson watched them go, smiling to himself.

“That’s my girl. And that’s my boy.”

He walked off back to where he came, waiting in stasis until he was needed again.

**********************

Several hours later, Jennifer lay in Ronon’s bed, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand twirling the hairs on his chest between her fingers.

He chuffed softly and grabbed her hand, stilling it.

“That tickles,” his voice rumbled through his chest.

Jennifer laughed and placed a small kiss on his sweat-tinged skin. He tightened his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered roughly.

“What?” she asked.

“When you got shot. I thought I’d lost you.”

Her heart flipped, “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault. My fault for getting attacked by some stupid vegetable.”

“Fruit,” she responded, automatically.

He tipped her head up to look her in the eyes.

She blushed, “Technically tomatoes are a fruit.”

He grinned, kissing her on the forehead. Jennifer suddenly got a quizzical look on her face.

“What?”

“I remember,” her voice trailed off.

“You remember what?” he asked quietly.

“I remember you doing that while I was in sickbay.”

Ronon tensed, “What else do you remember?”

She turned over then, so she was lying on her stomach, resting her head on her arms so she could look at him.

“I remember what you said.”

“Really?” he said nervously.

“Really,” she smiled mischievously.

She nuzzled his chest and then kissed his neck, “Did you mean it?”

He groaned as she sucked the skin over his pulse into her mouth and bit down gently. He grasped the back of her head and pulled her gently up his body until their faces were inches apart.

“Every word of it,” he growled, leaning up to kiss her.

She pulled back, narrowing her eyes, “Prove it.”

A predatory smile graced his face and he flipped them over so he was on top. She threw back her head laughing, and he joined her before sweeping the hair off her forehead.

“I love you Jennifer Keller,” he said softly before claiming her lips with his own.

When he finally let her break for air she clutched his shoulders tightly, “I love you Ronon Dex.”

He bent down to suckle her neck again and as he thrust inside her he growled, “Mine,” and she squealed in delight.


End file.
